The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a wild card loss to the Los Angeles Rams

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Minnesota Vikings entered Monday’s playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams as the first wild-card team with 14 wins in league history, but as the clock struck midnight, the Vikings’ Cinderella season was unceremoniously ended 27:9 defeat.

“If you have a good season, all that matters is what you do in the playoffs,” quarterback Sam Darnold, 27, told reporters Monday night after his first playoff start. “In the NFL there is only one season with one team and everyone together. And today wasn’t our day. It’s that simple.”

Darnold felt the Rams’ pressure early and it didn’t let up during Monday’s wild-card game, which was moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, while devastating wildfires ripped through the Los area Angeles devastated. The Rams sacked Darnold a record nine times, for a loss of 82 yards, the most sacks in a playoff game. The Rams’ defense also forced two turnovers – an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown.

VIKINGS VS RAMS:Rams defeat Vikings in wild card game and set NFL playoff sack record

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the loss wasn’t the fault of any one player – “It’s a ‘we’ thing. This affects us all… Could I have trained better? I promise you I could have done it” – but Darnold did it. It’s clear that he didn’t lead the team as efficiently as he had all season.

NFL STATISTICS CENTER: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

“I feel like there were a lot of sacks today that I was responsible for, where I was just holding onto the football and taking sacks,” said Darnold, who finished with 245 yards and a touchdown and an interception. “It’s up to me to feel that (pressure) and either get up, move, run for the first down or just throw it away.”

After being relegated to a backup quarterback the past two seasons, Darnold enjoyed a renaissance year this season, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record as a starter, Minnesota’s best regular season finish since 1998. The Vikings were expected to They take the next step with a deep playoff run, equipped with not only Darnold, but also Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones, each having over 1,000 yards in receiving and receiving had rushing seasons.

But Minnesota’s two-game skid, including last week’s crushing loss to the Detroit Lions that could have clinched the NFC North title and the No. 1 overall seed for the Vikings, ended abruptly shortly after it began.

“It doesn’t feel real,” said Jones, who finished with 13 carries for 48 yards. “I know you have to take it week to week, but I was definitely expecting to play next week.”

“The sky was the limit for us”

Less than seven minutes into the game, the Vikings quickly found themselves in a 10-0 hole after the Rams’ first two drives resulted in a touchdown and a field goal. The Vikings responded with a field goal of their own, cutting their deficit to 10-3. It appeared that Minnesota tied the game after sacking Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, which resulted in a defensive touchdown. But the decision was reversed and the points were wiped off the board after referees ruled that Stafford had thrown an incomplete pass.

“I know this quarterback pretty well,” said O’Connell, who served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl run in the 2021-22 season. “I know when (Stafford) is trying to throw to someone and when he’s not, but that’s the explanation I got. We just had to keep playing.”

On the Vikings’ next possession, Darnold’s pass intended for receiver Jordan Addison was intercepted by Rams’ Cobie Durant. The next possession, Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon sacked Darnold and forced a fumble, which was returned by Jared Verse for a 57-yard touchdown for a 17-3 lead. At halftime, the Vikings were down 24-3 and the wind was out of their sails. Darnold connected with tight end TJ Hockenson for a 26-yard touchdown on their quarter, but it was too little, too late.

“We didn’t do enough to win. That’s what happens in this league,” Vikings safety Josh Metellus said with tears in his eyes. “We had a special group. This team is one of the best teams I have ever played on. The sky was the limit for us. It was all about winning 1-0. Today we were 0-1. “That just happened.” Be the last one.”

Jones added that he’s “sad for my brothers and sad for how it turned out.” We’ve played hard all year, and today everyone came out and left it on the field even though it wasn’t the result we wanted,” Jones said. “The team changes year after year. There’s a real brotherhood in that locker room, some guys might not be back and you can feel it. This is the secret team I was on. I love these guys.”

What’s next for Sam Darnold?

Darnold will enter free agency after his one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings expires. He seemed poised to remain a starter, whether with the Vikings or another team, but his stumble to the finish line over the last two weeks could have implications for his future. However, Darnold said that was a topic for another day.

“I’m not worried about that. This is a thing of the past,” Darnold said Monday. “Right now I’m thinking about what I could have done better today and just spending time with the team in the locker room.”

Jefferson noted that the question marks surrounding the team’s future quarterback felt like déjà vu.

“Last year it was the same situation. “I didn’t know who my quarterback was going to be and I really didn’t care,” said Jefferson, who had five receptions for 58 yards on Monday. “I’m confident that I can go out there and still perform the same way I’ve done so far. It’s not my job to say who the quarterback is going to be or who I want to be the quarterback.”

No matter what happens, two bad games shouldn’t discredit Darnold’s Pro Bowl season, O’Connell said: “I’m proud of (Darnold), proud of absolutely everyone in this locker room. But Sam (Darnold), the journey.” He and I carried on this year and will always have a special place in my heart.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a wild card loss to the Los Angeles Rams

Leave a Reply Cancel reply